Che Noir is a Buffalo, New York-based emcee and producer who delivers strong, uncompromisingly direct lyrics over production inspired by mid-'90s East Coast rap. Albums such as 2020's
As God Intended (with
Apollo Brown) and 2022's Food for Thought demonstrate her range of styles and techniques, from nostalgic reminiscences to crime-driven narratives.
Marche Lashawn was born in Buffalo in 1994, and grew up listening to rappers like
Foxy Brown,
Jay-Z, and
the Notorious B.I.G. A friend taught her how to make beats while she was in high school, and she started rapping soon afterward. She began taking music seriously when she was 21, building recording studios in Buffalo and Niagara Falls to work on her first songs, and releasing her debut mixtape, Poetic Thoughts, in 2016. After connecting with the storied Griselda Records crew, she recorded the track "Tyson" with
Benny the Butcher in 2017. She also began working with Rochester-based rapper/producer
38 Spesh, appearing on his 2018
Kool G Rap collaboration (
Son of G Rap) as well as his solo releases.
38 Spesh produced
Noir's 2018 release The Thrill of the Hunt and its 2019 sequel, as well as 2020's Juno. She worked with Detroit producer
Apollo Brown on her second album of 2020,
As God Intended, which was issued by
Mello Music Group and included guest appearances by
Black Thought (
the Roots),
Skyzoo, and
Planet Asia. Her EP
After 12 appeared at the end of the year. She released the self-produced album Food for Thought in early 2022. ~ Paul Simpson